If you are found to be a good candidate for kidney transplantation, the best option is to undergo transplant with a living donor, as this does not require time on the waiting list. Patients without a living donor wait on the list for a deceased donor kidney. Because there are many more people who need a kidney transplant than there are kidneys available, a waiting list is managed by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). UNOS gives priority to patients based on waiting time and over a time period of years patients move to the top of the list, and receive a kidney.

When a deceased donor organ is available, you will receive a call from our coordinator or surgeon, asking you to come into the hospital for the transplant. Since this call can come at any time during the day or night, any day of the week, it is important for the transplant team to be able to reach you. You should provide our center with all of your phone numbers, as well as the phone numbers of a few emergency contacts, so that we can contact you when needed.